


Roses are orange, and some also blue

by ApprenticedMagician



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 12:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13659432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApprenticedMagician/pseuds/ApprenticedMagician
Summary: Dear Valentine,They aren’t poisonous. I checked.From - your pipe dream





	Roses are orange, and some also blue

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution to the AFTG Exchange Valentines 2018 edition! This gift is for dysfunctional-college-roommates. I hope you enjoy this gift! I tried my best to fit in that long-distance woe of 'not single but still alone'.  
> (Also, please forgive my gross overuse of italics. I think I have a problem...)

Andrew’s first thought upon seeing the stuffed bear on his doormat was, ‘ _Fucking Tobias_ ’ – referring to the snot-nosed brat who lived in an apartment just one floor up but still managed to lose and litter his toys on the building’s _every_ level. Everyone knew Tobias.

But then he noticed the flower bouquet behind the bear and began suspecting another deeply hated red-head who also liked to litter his things around Andrew’s apartment.

King was already loudly plying him for food when he finally got the front door open, painting a ridiculous picture as he juggled his surprise tokens atop his racquet, keys, a few groceries, and a bag of equipment to be washed. Not a moment after he rolled his eyes at himself, Andrew tripped over a frantic and starving King and lost hold of the duffle that held his gear. The resulting BANG to the floor spooked King into racing a frenzy around the apartment, which Andrew figured was a fright well-deserved.

“Of all the stupid cats,” he muttered, kicking the door closed behind him and renewing his vow to someday reunite King with the dumpster Neil had fished her out of. For good measure, Neil could be left there with her.

Sufficiently annoyed, Andrew dropped the bear and flowers on the nearest surface and promptly ignored them by busying himself with other chores. He showered, cooked dinner, fed King, set a load of laundry to wash, and cleaned all his dishes before his curiosity overcame his annoyance.

He picked up the flowers first. They didn’t seem like anything fancy, just three orange roses and fourteen blue ones. There was also a heart-bedazzled card with a typed message that read:

_Dear Valentine,_  
_They aren’t poisonous. I checked._  
_From - your pipe dream_

Andrew snorted, amused at Neil’s continued efforts to keep their relationship ambiguous to outsiders, then checked the back just in case but there was nothing there.

He considered the flowers further with a slight scowl. It didn’t take a genius to draw the connection between the 03 he had worn as a Fox and the 14 he now wore as a Typhoon. Still, as much as Andrew didn’t believe himself to be someone wooed by gifts or romantic gestures, there was something irritating about the fact that Neil couldn’t even be romantic without making it all about Exy.

Junkie was lucky Andrew had a thing for legs.

Now that he thought about it, it had been a few weeks since they last spoke. It always got busy this time in the season, when players were pulling out all the stops in training and their games, hoping to outshine any of the collegiate players who were looking to go pro and snag well-positioned contracts after graduation. Even Andrew had been pushing himself a little, secretly eager to have his pick of teams just so he could move that much closer to Neil. He knew Neil was working hard too, fighting with the same goal in mind, but it consequently meant they’d gone a long time without hearing each other’s voice.

Andrew was a little alarmed at how much he missed it.

He checked the time, quietly arguing with himself whether or not it was too late to call. He eventually decided the time difference made it too late and fought back a sigh as he resigned himself to finding a glass for the flowers. Once they were watered and set somewhere King couldn’t easily tip them over, Andrew picked up the bear.

It, like the bouquet, wasn’t anything special but it seemed even plainer and more devoid of meaning than the roses had been. It was just an ordinary bear (a fox would have made more sense). It was the standard size, had a nice give to the stuffing, and was a similar colouring to King’s fur, which Andrew suspected was chosen to minimize any discolouring when King inevitably shed hair all over it.

Suddenly remembering that Tobias had a plush rabbit containing a scent packet, Andrew sniffed carefully at the bear’s belly. Nothing unusual. It didn’t quite seem like Neil to just gift him a stuffed animal without some trick to it though...

After a little more thought, Andrew began squeezing the paws and was rewarded when the voice he had just been missing declared from nowhere:

“ _Five bucks says I’m thinking of you._ ”

The apartment somehow seemed emptier than it had before. King came bouncing to his side, mewing and looking around, innocently confused as to where Neil was hiding.

“ _Five bucks says I’m thinking of you._ ”

Hearing it, she hopped up onto the table to investigate, sniffing the bear as though Neil might have trapped food or himself inside. Andrew used the bear to bop her curious nose.

He had a ringing phone beside his ear before he quite realized, head still swimming with the recorded message and all the unspoken messages it might have carried with it.

“ _Andrew_ ,” the greeting rang so sweet in his ear, warm and loving and he could just tell Neil had been smiling when he said it.

“Neil,” he replied, not half as warm but just as stunned. “You sent me flowers.”

“ _Yeah_ ,” he was doing his stupid Neil giggle. “ _D’you like them?”_

“King thinks they’re delicious.” Just to prove his point, Andrew plucked a blue rose from the bunch and waved it in King’s face. She batted at it immediately, pupils dilating and tail swinging as she took to this new game.

“ _No! Don’t feed them to her!”_   Too late, King had snapped a bite at it and was spitting out a mouthful of petals. “ _Those were expensive!_ ”

Andrew scoffed. “’S not like you don’t have the money.”

“ _Significantly less now._ ” Neil was so grumbly about money sometimes. This is what growing up on millions did to children. “ _The good news is, you owe me five bucks._ ”

“Liar,” Andrew accused, glaring at nothing and whacking King lightly with the rose.

“ _Wha – it’s true! I was **too** thinking about you!_” Then he harrumphed and went on muttering to himself and made noises that sounded like he was rearranging sheets. Andrew let him grumble on for a little bit before he caught the mumbled confession, “ _I miss you like crazy._ ”

Just like that, Andrew felt his breath catch in his lungs and swore his stupid heart skipped a beat. King snatched the rose away from his loose hand and went to town making confetti out of petals and leaves. A flurry of possible responses flooded his head: _that’s stupid; you’re impossible; I miss you too; it’s hard not talking to you; I need you to shut up_. All of them were true but they were too true, too full of feeling Andrew still wasn’t sure he was comfortable handling.

Neil had fallen quiet, maybe waiting on Andrew’s reaction. Andrew didn’t know how to react.

“Tell me about your day.” It felt a little bit like chickening out but Neil didn’t sound disappointed as he launched into stories about everything from practice with his teammates to the mess Sir made of the couch last night. Andrew resolved to not admonish himself for it.

He moved to his favourite armchair, bringing the bear along, and settled himself comfortably. Likely, he’d end up sleeping there tonight, trying his best to trick himself into believing Neil was right there beside him.

King surprised him by leaping past his head to land on the chair’s back, batting at the bear when she realized her regular spot in his lap was already occupied. He lifted it and gently lay it back on top of her when she snuggled in and began to purr.

It was hard for now, and it had been hard for a long time, but it wouldn’t always be.

**Author's Note:**

>  _Roses are orange,_  
>  _and some also blue._  
>  _Five bucks says_  
>  _I'm thinking of you._  
>   
>  _Happy Valentines Day, Valentine_


End file.
